Fire and Steel
by crushcommando
Summary: After a seemingly harmless test run on a new armor design goes wrong, Yasuo finds himself stranded on a foreign world engulfed by war. In a place far from where he was born, could he find home? or will death, like the wind remain by his side? rated M for heavy violence possible adult content. I plan pairings but not sure of with who yet, criticism and reviews appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first VC fanfic so I hope you like it. I just finished the game recently and fell in love with it so I decided to write a story about it. I get the crossover is a bit unorthodox but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'll do my best to retell the story from the game (note I haven't played any of the other VC games so I'm purely going off the first but I'll be using the wiki since ive only played the PC version) but I'll be changing some events here and there some minor some major, I'm currently juggling this story and my other story that I've been writing along with work and such so updates may be sporadic; hope you enjoy!**

_Piltover Academy of Science, Heimerdinger's lab_

Yasuo was reluctant to travel to Piltover to see some experiment Heimer had concocted, but with little else to do and getting tired of the Ionian champions giving him death stares every time they crossed he decided to see what the good scientist cooked up. The trip was quite uneventful, his quiet demeanor attracting little attention from other passengers on the train from the Institute to the city, he was actually glad that nothing happened since the last time things could be called "exciting" was when he was constantly hunted by his own countrymen before his inauguration into the League. Casually he strolled around before heading to the academy, simply ignoring another one of Jinx's rampages as she practically bombed the city with fireworks while riding a giant missile painted like a dragon with Vi and Caitlyn in pursuit. After an hour of walking he finally reached the doors of the building, he walked in ignoring the receptionist and heading directly to the labs in the higher ring of the Academy while attempting not to step on any Yordles that happened to be running by. After a short while, he reached the large metallic doors leading into the main laboratory only Heimer and a select few were allowed into. Caring little for knocking he simply opened the door and entered the very dimly lit room, inventions were scattered across the walls while all light was concentrated in the center of the room. It was easy to make out Heimerdinger's form being the small walking brain that he was, but his accomplice reached around Yasuo's height and was impossible to recognize while bathed in shadow.

"I assume you got a reason for dragging me out here when I could be enjoying a fine drink right now?" He walked up to the Yordle, eyeing the strange set of armor assembled on the table.

If Heimer was surprised by the silent intrusion, he didn't show it "Ah good you're here! This will keep us on schedule!" he happily chimed. Pushing a button the table moved so that it was upright, facing the swordsman, it was at this moment Yasuo realized the armor was almost an exact copy of his form, even a special scabbard for his sword.

"Uh, what's this?" The Ronin was confused at why such a special set of gear was made specifically for him.

From the shadows the accomplice showed himself to be none other than Viktor, the machine herald "It is glorious yes? This is only a prototype, a precursor to the glorious evolution!" His religious zealotry to machine surpassing man never ceased to annoy the blade master, but he did have to admire the work into such a fine set of armor.

"This is a new set of gear for frontline soldiers, possibly even for our police for here. Since most armies use swords and shields we decided the melee variant would be best to create first, and since you're an outcast with no ties, should anything go wrong with testing it won't be an issue!" Heimerdinger was quite satisfied with himself, despite the cold and possibly even callous tone of which he regarded his test subject was polar opposite to his cheery outlook.

"Oh great I'm expendable, why the hell should I agree to being you guinea pig?" Yasuo snapped back.

"Because it is a great honor to be the first to accept such augmentation! You will be the first of many to don such improvements! To be better than those who think themselves your superiors!" Viktor preached, still prideful of his creation.

"Now now Viktor, I've told you these are only going to be given to troops whose governments agree to use them, and even then I doubt most non-military personnel will use them" The Yordle reprimanded the herald, causing him to grunt in annoyance. "As for you swordsman, we need someone of your skill to make sure this prototype works, and if you live you get to keep it!" Once again Heimer was oblivious to the self-preservation instincts of others in pursuit of science.

Yasuo had to admit it looked downright gorgeous, and it didn't look dangerous to the user at all, much the opposite it seemed to have anything a swordsman would ever dream of. Despite his better judgment, he agreed. "All right you got yourself a deal, but I'm not going to go charging into a horde of Noxian troops to make sure it works got it?"

The Scientist was gleeful to hear his answer "of course not! We know all the interior systems work fine, night vision, thermal detection, the sword is protected by a scabbard that never allows any substance to get inside allowing for the blade to never be in any risk of damage or becoming dull; not to mention the armor is set to be a perfect balance of mobility, comfort, and protection, able to take practically anything the enemy throws at it!" The Scientist obviously loved his creation, making sure every detail was precisely as he specified, even Yasuo had to admit it was impressive.

"So what's the catch then? I doubt you'd need me to test something you already know works" He knew something dangerous needed to be done, or he wouldn't have been needed in the first place

"Aha smarter than I gave you credit for!" was the response the Yordle gave, hopping over to something large covered in a large curtain, without any hesitation he yanked it off revealing a large circular device. "I designed this armor set to be compatible with my new teleportation device! All you have to do is step through here and you should appear in the room right below this one! Easy yes?"

Things seemed simple enough, get into the suit, walk through a portal and job done, he decided it was a fair deal and simple laid back against the armor, the machinery quickly latching itself onto him encasing him. The suit whirred to life as bright orange shot out from the Y shaped visor that allowed him vision along with streaks across his legs. As the armor locked in, becoming basically skin to him synchronized with his sight and nerve system, words flashing across the visor until a robotic voice spoke "Project Yasuo initiated" he cocked an eye and turned to the two scientists.

"We thought we'd name it after you, since you are the one allowing all of this to occur and paving the way for the future it's the least we could do" Viktor explained.

He put his sword into the scabbard, orange light surrounding the blade, accepting it into its system "Fingerprint signature authenticated, sword integrated" the computerized voice stated in her monotone accent. He took a moment to get a feel for the new setup, it was surprisingly agile, not impairing his movement or perception in any real way. After getting used to his new arrangement, he walked up to the portal and prepared for what he assumed would be a quick and easy process, he couldn't be more wrong.

Heimerdinger began making all the preparations, pushing a multitude of buttons while Viktor was on a separate console doing the same. "All right, we've set the teleports power to 42%!" Heimer spoke as he began twisting knobs and typing in commands.

"Don't ask why 42 it's something about him and that number' Viktor answered Yasuo's question before he could even ask.

The portal began powering up, lights encasing its' outer frame only waiting for the signal to fully activate. Heimer put on his safety goggles and yelled "Watch out I'm about to do SCIENCE!" as he slammed on the activation button causing the portal to quickly spur to life, a massive ocean of energy encased the center of the portal forming a vortex. Yasuo stood in awe at the odd beauty of the sight before him, before noticing he was slowly getting closer "Warning, anomaly detected, gravitational pull extreme" the suit warned, causing him to go into alarm. He attempted to back away but the force pulling him in was too strong, "Uh guys!?" he shot a look to the two scientists who were frantically doing everything in their power to shut the machine down. The Vortex only grew in strength dragging him in despite his best efforts, the armor enduring the pressure of the rift as in the blink of an eye he was sent into the nether. The Two scientists simply looked at one another and shrugged, simply heading off to begin rebuilding their prototype for the next test run

_A small forest west of Bruhl, several days after the Imperial Invasion_

The Imperial assault on Gallia had taken the nation by surprise, most of the frontline crumbling within hours of assault. Bruhl was only a small town that laid in the path of the Empire's war machine, and despite the valiant defense of the town guard assisted by Welkin Gunther and his tank the Edelweiss they were unable to hold. Most of the refugees had evacuated to the capital leaving the road by the forest empty, only now were imperial forward teams investigating the area to prepare for the main advance. Some Gallian guerillas stayed behind to halt the advance, using what equipment they had to make life hard for the Empire. In this area a massive electrical surge opened a rift in reality, spitting out a lone swordsman onto the soft grass.

"Ugh damn it Heimer, that's the last time I trust some egg head" he spat out irritated by the obvious failure of the portal. Yasuo began taking in his surroundings, trying to get a bearing on where he was. "Huh, heavily forested maybe this is south of the great barrier? But there's roads here so civilization can't be far off… maybe this is near the bubbling bog? I need to find someone so I know where I can get directions" his train of thought was cut short by the sounds of gunfire and explosions nearby along with the sounds of dying men. Without hesitation he rushed towards the sounds of combat, his speed remarkably fast without the institute's restrictions in league matches. It only took him several minutes to reach the site of the clash, he took a spot atop a nearby tree to stay out of sight while getting a perfect view of the action.

The scene was already full of carnage as bodies littered small clearing in which the trap had been sprung. It seemed several Imperial soldiers had been caught off guard by guerilla snipers while others had fallen to homemade trip mines. Only a handful of soldiers remained with a woman in the center who seemed very out of place by her attire, yet she held a massive machine gun that spewed death in whichever direction it was pointed. The ambushes numbers had also thinned as their foes began to rally around the woman who Yasuo assumed was the commanding officer. She was quite the looker with her slim frame, modest bust, and flowing long white hair along with red eyes that many found unnatural, yet were beautiful with the certain glimmer they gave off. She was obviously a battle hardened warrior, keeping her cool under such a stressful situation. The skirmish ended abruptly as a wounded guerilla tossed a grenade into the circle of soldiers before his blood loss overcame him; the handful of troops remaining barely had time to react "grenade!" one of the soldiers yelled out as they all attempted to jump away but to no avail. The explosion spouted shrapnel in every direction, digging into the flesh of those unfortunate enough to be nearby. The woman in the center was lucky enough to avoid the main blast, but still had some fragments embedded in her arm and leg. Around her were the remains of her men, all dead from the explosive at such short range, she ignored her wounds and checked on her men, hoping to find some semblance of life. So involved in her attention to her soldiers, she didn't notice the lone guerilla walking up behind her with a rifle aimed at her skull.

Yasuo couldn't help but admire the woman, a commander who fought alongside her troops and actually gave a damn if they died under her command. He decided he couldn't allow her to die so dishonorably, she deserved a warriors death at least; as such he jumped to the tree above the two and descended like a hawk upon its' prey.

"Damn it" the curse escaped Selvaria's mouth as she finally accepted her entire scout force had been wiped out because she was too careless to expect resistance this close to the main army. She was unable to use her Valkyrian powers under Maximillian's orders forced to fight as a mortal woman though she paid it no mind. She heard the audible "click" of a rifle prepping to be fired, as she turned around she heard a strange ringing sound. Turning to face her aggressor she looked into the eyes of a Gallian guerilla, eyes wide and his body unmoving; moments later a thin cut mark formed a ring around his neck, slowly his head fell away from the rest of the body. She turned to the sound of metal meeting metal slightly to her left to see a strangely armored warrior returning his blade to its scabbard. Not knowing the name of her supposed savior, she reached for her gun slowly while addressing the armored man.

"Thanks for the help, I assume you're some new super soldier project the Empire sent us?" She questioned, the technology seeming far advanced than most nations had, and yet using a blade was quite strange in modern times; since he saved her she assumed he wasn't Federation or Gallian aligned.

"Empire? Never heard of it, in fact you and these men here look entirely alien to me mind telling me where I might be?" The metallic voice as well as the cryptic answer unsettled Selvaria, but she decided to play along.

"You're in a warzone, this is Gallia soon to be a new territory of the East Europan Imperial Alliance, and may I ask who you are?" the metallic visor met her gaze yet she couldn't see through it since Yasuo had changed the settings so his visor was tinted; he wasn't sure where he was and in Valoran many places had a bounty on his head.

"Just someone looking for a road home" was his plain answer, taking note of her injuries he decided they were minor but should be treated sooner rather than later. "Can you walk? Those shrapnel wounds look pretty nasty."

Checking herself, she found the strength to bring herself to her feet, though her movement would be impaired "I'll be fine thank you." She replied and regained her posture.

"By your outfit and how you handled that battle, I assume you're an officer is your camp nearby?" he took note of the dead, hoping one would have something useful to his whereabouts.

"Yes, our forces are to the east although I can make it on my own" Her pride refused to ask for aid yet her limp walk gave her away

"Yeah sure you are, I'll tag along just in case not like I have any clue where I am anyway" The swordsman answered with a slight chuckle as the two headed down the main road.

Silence reigned for several minutes as the two slowly made their way west, Selvaria unable to move any faster making the journey quite awkward until Yasuo decided to break the silence.

"So, mind if I ask you're rank? You seem to be quite high up judging by your uniform compared to that of your soldiers"

Selvaria saw no harm in indulging the man's questions for now "I am Selvaria Bles, Brigadier General of the central forces of the Gallian invasion front and aid to his majesty Maximillian." Her pride was obvious by the tone in her voice as she had served faithfully for many years now never failing her lord.

"A general? Heh that's a first, most generals simply stand behind their men as they order them to their deaths; it's refreshing to see some officers who give a damn about the lives they wager when they go into battle. Though your name is a bit long, I'll simply call you Sel" he chimed as the two continued their walk. Selvaria was surprised at someone paying her compliments, as most knew her name and reputation causing most to avoid her or simply shudder in her mere presence when speaking the simplest of words, yet this man addressed her as just another person, something that hadn't happened in quite a while. She actually didn't mind the nickname, as it was nowhere near the things she was used to being called which she mostly ignored.

This man seemed to adhere to a code of honor, much like Jaeger and herself to an extent which she could respect, she decided it was her turn to ask the questions "So, I've told you about myself mind indulging me with at least your name?" hoping to learn something about the mysterious man (or at least she believed he was by the voice) that kept her company.

"I guess that's fair, name's Yasuo consider me a simple wanderer." His answer still left her with questions so she continued to prod for answers "a simple wanderer isn't so well armed and doesn't become lost so easily in the common woods" she sniped back with a small laugh.

"A wanderer is never truly lost," he replied grinning inside of his mask, it was nice to have someone to talk to every now and then, especially with a sense of humor. "But yes I'm simply a wanderer, no profession to my name and no allegiance to any nation, I simply hunt someone who was responsible for a crime I was accused of" he replied in a more stoic tone recalling his past that always seemed to catch up to him.

His answer intrigued Selvaria "really? Where do you come from? Nobody has used swords as weapons since the industrial revolution came about, yet your armor is nothing the likes of which I've ever seen." She couldn't help but have an inkling of curiosity in her voice, this man was completely alien to almost everything she had ever encountered.

"A small island nation, named Ionia off the coast of Valoran, not too far from the mainland but enough to keep to themselves, and before you ask no I've never heard of Europa nor any nation of which you've spoken of, I assume that has something to do with that damn portal Heimer sent me through, damn Yordle." His annoyance with this "Heimer" person was evident by his voice but before she could continue the Imperial camp had come into sight.

"Huh, nice operation you got going on here" Yasuo could only admire how orderly and impressive things looked, tanks in tight formations ready to be used at a moment's notice as well as well armed and equipped troops drilling and keeping a watch out for anything coming their way. Selvaria only smiled in pride as the two headed to the camp, they were greeted by a scout keeping an eye on the road who quickly gave a salute to the general.

"General Bles! We heard gunfire from the forest, are you alright?" ignoring the armored man behind her for the moment.

"Yes I'm fine, though I need a medic to see to these shrapnel wounds, send a retrieval team to our patrol route, our men need to be buried" Her sullen tone displayed obvious guilt at the loss of her men, the soldier simply saluted and left without a word as a medic came up soon after and began tending to her wounds. All eyes in the camp quickly began to descend on the unknown soldier who arrived with the general, a crowd slowly began to form as the medic finished tending to Sel's wounds.

"It seems I've drawn quite a crowd" Yasuo noted, many soldiers not even trying to hide their stares of confusion. Selvaria simply smiled as she knew these looks all too well when she joined.

"You get used to it, after a while their either too scared to even glimpse at you, or avoid you all together." He could tell she was speaking from personal experience, though he was unsure as to why they'd treat her in such a way seeing as she seemed to be a fair woman and a caring leader. "So what made you stay? Surely you could've been on your way once we reached camp and yet here you are." Yasuo chuckled as she caught on quick "Well, you're an army and you're invading another nation so I'm going to assume you have maps, maps I'd like to use so I know where I am and where I'm going." He admitted, not wanting to sound like he used her for his own gain.

"Ah, well fair enough then come to my command tent and we may be able to guide you home" she invited her newfound friend. The two quickly headed into her tent filled to the brim with maps, plans, strategies, notes, uniforms and the like as Selvaria used this tent as her battlefield home. Bringing him to the main table she spread out a massive map of Europa, with every country listed with its' respective borders Yasuo took in the information presented to him, trying to pinpoint where Valoran would be but couldn't find any point of reference, meanwhile his suit scanned and stored the map in its databanks should the need arise later to review it.

"We are here" Selvaria pointed to a small nation stuck between two much larger countries colored in red for the empire and blue for the federation. "The principality of Gallia rich in Ragnite and soon to be assimilated into the Empire." Confidence emanated from her voice, assured of the Empire's invincibility, unknowing that a similar event of aggression befell Yasuo's homeland.

"I see… so it's a war for this "Ragnite" resource?" he kept overlooking the map, getting a feel for the terrain.

"Well Ragnite powers everything, isn't it the same from where you come from?" Selvaria had never encountered a person who hadn't heard of Ragnite, from war machines to medical supplies everything ran on it, especially with how advanced his armor seemed she was sure it ran on some form of the mineral.

"No, we use hextech, magic infused with technology thought it's not really my thing, I prefer a simple blade personally, and this was… a gift of sorts." He awkwardly noted as he must seem like quite the hypocrite.

Selvaria couldn't believe what he'd said, it was common knowledge magic was simply a myth made to explain what people couldn't understand, yet she believed him because she could tell no deceit in his voice. "I imagine you're parched after your journey from… well wherever you came from, drink?" She went into her cabinet which she rarely ever used since drinking was something she only did during formal meetings usually with Maximillian present. "Heh you have no idea" Yasuo had been dying for something even close to sake (Japanese alcoholic drink pronounced sah-ke). She poured him a glass and was curious as to how he would drink it with his mask covering his face. She was surprised as the helmet simply opened up, the visor unlocking and moving up while the left and right hinges moved to the side and the chin piece descended to be out of the way. He was a surprisingly young man with dark brown eyes and normal white skin. The look of many battles internal and external could be seen in his gaze. Despite his thirst he calmly grabbed the glass and drank it slowly, as if he was at a formal meeting with some royalty as to not offend them. Upon finishing his glass he seemed quite satisfied "Ah damn well that's the good stuff" he chuckled and went back to studying the maps presented to him. Deciding he could be a valuable asset, as well as a trustworthy ally she decided to make her proposal "we could use a man like you on the front, leading our armies to victory in his grace's name." she was hopeful she could convince him to join them in conquest but it wasn't meant to be.

"I appreciate the sentiment but the last time I tasted war was when my homeland was invaded by a larger nation wanting land and power, I wish you the best of luck Sel but this isn't my fight." He simply turned and walked out of the tent. Shocked at his response she just realized he had seen everything in her command tent, many compromising things that would greatly aid the Gallians she rushed out of the tent to catch him.

"Wait! Does this mean you're joining the enemy? I can't let you leave with what you just saw!" she hesitantly placed her hand on Ruhm, hoping dearly to not have to use it. Yasuo stopped in his tracks.

"I only wish to help the defenseless and make sure this place doesn't end up like my home almost did while trying to find a way home, so chances are I'll end up helping your enemies yes." A short silence increased the tension between the two, each side waiting for the other to make a move "But I promise you this, you entrusted secrets such as these to me as well as welcoming me into what was basically you're home, it'd be dishonorable to betray such trust; I give you my word I will speak nothing of what I saw in that tent on my honor I swear it." With that he resumed his silent march out of the camp, soldiers simply standing out of his way as he left. While she could have pursued him and tried to silence him for good, Selvaria couldn't bring herself to try and allowed him to leave in peace, knowing most likely they would meet again someday, albeit on a battlefield as foes rather than friends.

**Hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter in what I hope will be a long series! Just to clarify I do plan to cover squad 7 and the Gallians a bit more, just this bit was more focused on Yasuo's arrival and his first meeting with Selvaria. I am going to be changing some events from the game but doing my best to keep faithful to the main plotline whenever possible so please tell me if I get something wrong or anything so I can go edit it I always appreciate constructive criticism. As I said im using the wiki as well as my knowledge of VC PC version so I hope I don't overlap into other games without knowing it. If you're curious on how yasuo looks just look up the project yasuo skin on league of legends or google images and imagine his hair black instead of white. Well that's about it so I hope to see you guys next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far, just a heads up I think instead of pming my answers to reviews to the user I'll just post my answer with the name of the asker in the next chapter if its' fine with you guys. **

_Militia HQ _

Welkin had been given the rank of Lieutenant commanding squad 7 upon his arrival in the capital, he decided to keep his father's tank the Edelweiss rather than use more common militia models. Looking at the roster of eligible recruits he began to run down the list of names to pick those he thought he could use in his unit. He'd already been assigned Alicia, Rosie, and Largo who were all good at their jobs, Alicia being a scout while Largo was a veteran lancer from EW1 and Rosie was an adamant, albeit hot headed shock trooper. He'd already recruited most of the people he needed, including freesia and cherry; two very flirty scouts although one was a free spirit and the other being more of a materialistic air head respectively. Noting how many recruits he had left to choose from, Welkin noticed he didn't have any snipers since most normal people wouldn't have any experience in sniping. Realizing he'd need a sharpshooter to support infantry his eyes scanned the list for any sniper applicants and it only came down to one name Marina Wulfstan. Going through her background she was quite the accomplished hunter, learning marksmanship from her father at a very young age and gained a reputation for never letting her prey escape, ironic sense according to her profile she had a soft spot for small animals owning a pet fox she found in the woods and nursed it back to health. Her main drawback was though she was a loner, overall despising the company of others and didn't work well in a team unless she was somewhere off on her own doing things "her way" as she put it. While he'd hoped for a more team oriented member Welkin couldn't argue with her skillset and signed for her to be drafted into squad 7. Several hours later he'd mostly wrapped up the recruiting process, he preferred to meet his new squad members face to face to get to know them better. Night had fallen and checked his list to make sure he'd gotten everyone, noticing the last name on the list to yet be crossed off.

"Well time to meet our lone wolf it seems, Sergeant could you bring Ms. Wulfstan please?" The soldier simply nodded and exited the room, moments later the door opened and his final recruit entered the room.

The twenty four year old marksman quietly entered the room, she was considered to actually be quite beautiful by many, her dark black hair covering her left half of her face coupled with shining brown eyes and flawless skin would have many seek to gain her affection yet the aloof beauty would always return any attempts with a death glare that sent all scurrying away. She had a slim frame and sat attentively in front of her new CO, her face showed no signs of emotion only a calm demeanor.

"Private Wulfstan reporting sir." Her voice was quite monotone, not in a bored or disrespectful manner but one with a sense of obedience and yet fierce independence.

Welkin already felt a bit awkward being in the same room as her, but decided to try to break the ice "Your profile is quite promising Marina, if you don't mind me calling you that I think you'll be an excellent addition to the squad." He tried to sound as cheery as he could to help brighten the mood.

She responded with a simple nod "I never let my prey escape sir, what you wish to call me is of no concern to me sir" Her answer being straight and to the point, obviously not a fan of talking with other people except when necessary.

"Ah I see well, I understand you're mostly a loner, I do expect you to work with the team all of us need to work together to get through this." Welkin didn't want to come off as too harsh but needed to make sure she was teamwork material, he couldn't risk a liability that may or may not help when the time came.

"I understand sir, I have no qualms about providing long range support to friendly forces just if at all possible; keep them away from me, it's a distraction I'd rather not have." She was polite but to the point, Welkin could respect that.

"Very well, you're dismissed then" The two saluted one another and left the room, Welkin headed to the mess hall to talk with the rest of the squad, while Marina simply headed off someplace else, no one daring to ask her where or why.

_The town of Endon Several miles northeast of Vasel Bridge_

Yasuo had done his best to keep a low profile since his visit to the Imperial camp, taking a full black cloak and some provisions from an abandoned home he found while sticking to dirt roads or simply the woods to keep out of sight whenever possible. He knew he was getting close to the frontline as more and more convoys of soldiers and tanks lined the main roads, forcing him to keep to the woodlands, upon reaching a town by the name of Endon as the sign read he decided to see if he could grab any supplies before heading forward. Upon entering the town he noticed not everyone had time to evacuate as soldiers were rounding up civilians. After some observation it was obvious that a particular sect of people were being singled out for some reason, all he could make out was a prominent insult "dark hairs". Yasuo knew firsthand how the prejudice felt, when Noxus invaded his homeland they heard stories about what happened to the southern providences and he refused to allow the same thing to happen here. Sticking to the shadows, he bided his time until the group being escorted had become separated from the main force bringing their captives to an isolated are just outside the town.

"Shouldn't we be sending this batch to Fouzen? I hear we're gonna need the manpower to work the mines." One soldier spoke to his comrade.

"They have enough stinking dark hairs to do the dirty work, these wretches are worthless to the empire" the officer behind the two stated.

The civilians were put into a straight line with the soldiers forming a firing squad, carless of the kids crying for their mothers and the adults trying to console their children as the hour of death drew near. The officer simply raised his hand, a silent order followed by all as the soldiers raised their guns to chest level, preparing to mow down the defenseless people put in front of them.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" the metallic voice rang out from the shade of the trees sending all the soldiers into shock, as they were completely caught off guard.

"Who goes there!? And how dare you to presume you can command men of the Empire!" the officer was obviously infuriated someone dared question his authority. In response a figure covered in black emerged from the brush, facing the bristling guns of the firing squad trained on him.

"You have two options, you can either leave these people alone and leave with your lives, or I'll cut you down without a second thought." His tone was cold as the cloak lifted only enough to reveal his ornate scabbard with a metallic hand on the hilt of his blade, ready to draw.

"You insolent wretch! What fool thinks he can take on the mighty empire with such outdated weaponry as a sword!? Kill him!" the troops never had a chance. As the first finger pulled on the trigger the swordsman was upon them, such lightning speed had never been seen before. Charging into the fray, Yasuo dashed past the centermost soldier, quickly performing a slash in a circle around him, with the man In the center sliced in half and his comrades suffering from gashes in their chests he quickly made a lightning fast jab forward into the neck of the officer who hid behind his men, only gurgles of blood escaping his throat as he collapsed. The remaining two soldiers attempted to retaliate only for one of them to suffer decapitation before he could even grasp the trigger. Kicking the now headless corpse into the surviving trooper, the man was too busy trying to get the body off of him to have time to react to the blade master charging him. Yasuo simply jumped over him kicking his head down as he came to the ground, and finished the skirmish with a backwards stab through the chest, the soldier staring into the blood soaked blade that would end his life.

"b…b...blade" was all he was able to stutter out before it was yanked from his chest causing him to collapse to the dirt where the rest of his comrades lay. Returning his sword to its holder, he simply glanced at the civilians he saved, all of them shocked at the sight they had witnessed.

"Who are you?" One of the men worked up the courage to speak, the group still terrified of their savior.

"I wouldn't worry about me, you should find someplace safe before more arrive" Was his only answer as he grabbed his cloak and headed out back into the brush.

"So it seems there's some prejudice around here, should've known people will always find a reason to hate different people." He thought out loud as he continued his trek to the capital city of Randgriz, thankfully he wouldn't get lost thanks to his suits' databanks memorizing the maps he'd seen. Several hours later, he decided it wouldn't be too much farther to a town named Vasel, where a giant bridge named after the city lay that could lead him to the capital; so he retired for the night resting against a nearby tree under the stars.

Being so far from the main roads, he wasn't disturbed from his slumber, only the light of the sun rudely awakened him from what was otherwise a peaceful slumber. Grunting with annoyance, the wanderer begrudgingly forced himself awake and returned to his trek. Things were quiet for a while since everyone who was leaving for the capital is either there by now or was captured by the Empire, Yasuo found himself walking in silence for miles on end. Checking his suit for anything of use, he found his flute that he'd had since his time in Ionia "Well damn, Heimer did something useful after all!" glad to have something of his past with him once more. Playing his old instrument as he walked, the metallic tune it played thanks to some amplifiers built into it from the suit was soothing as he cleared his mind of his troubles and continued his journey onwards.

_Militia HQ_

Since the invasion, more and more civilians found themselves being conscripted as was national law; the militia was trying to organize as quickly as possible to join the regular army in military operations. Since orders hadn't been sent to the militia on where to go yet, most squads simply found themselves preparing for the coming storm especially in light of information that the Empire was preparing to assault the town of Vasel to secure its strategic bridge. General Damon didn't think the militia prepared to deal with "real combat operations" and as such kept them back from the front lines to allow the military to deal with most of the fighting. This strategy severely hindered the Gallian military, as their army wasn't very large being a mostly peaceful nation, so they relied heavily on conscripts to bolster their forces. With so little manpower at the front, most of Gallia had already fallen to the Imperial blitz, causing morale to plummet as well as resources to dwindle. Welkin was looking over war maps showing the front lines as well as known enemy force locations and troop movements.

"This is bad, our forces are outnumbered severely and the enemy is closing on Randgriz the military needs to mobilize the militia soon or its all over." He thought out loud to himself. Predicting their next operation would probably be in Vasel, Welkin began piecing together a team for urban combat in his head. Alicia was an obvious choice as well as Cherry for scouting purposes, Rosie, Vyse, and Hannes would be his shock troopers for the close urban streets, he lastly decided Largo and Lynn as lancers to combat any armored forces the enemy brought into the fray. Keeping his mental roster he noticed he had one open spot and decided to put Marina to the test, he thought it was quite fitting as urban combat was the snipers playground. Welkin had taken note most of his troops, especially Largo and Rosie didn't care much for his appointed status as Lieutenant, considering him inexperienced and cocky most likely because of his age. He hoped he could earn their respect and obedience through time and fighting alongside them on the front. Hearing that captain Varrot had been besieging the higher ups for orders, Welkin knew it was only a matter of time before they got deployed in earnest; hopefully in time to change the tide of the war.

_Gallian Militia Mess Hall_

The members of squad 7 had decided to get better acquainted before being deployed, most getting along quite well. Isara and Naudine, an engineer in the squad along with other Darcsen soldiers mostly kept to themselves in their own section of the mess hall that the other troops steered clear from. Cherry and Freesia were almost always seen flirting with their male counterparts, much to the annoyance of their female compatriots. Rosie and Largo enjoyed a stand fast friendship and most of the squad except Marina, who sat at her own private table alone in the corner as none dared attempt to approach her besides Ted who was always sent scurrying away with one of her famous death glares. With the militia growing restless and the Empire closing in, many were questioning when if ever they were going to be deployed and if it was already too late to save Gallia.

"We shouldn't be sitting here while the Imps are knocking on our door! And on top of that they got some kid who thinks he's all that in command!? What are the higher ups thinking?" Rosie's frustration was evident and she wasn't afraid to voice it.

"Damn beaurocrats you think they'd have gotten their shit together after the last war, I don't presume to get their thinkin, but I gotta agree that someone who knows how to lead should be put at the front not some kid." Largo shared Rosie's annoyance and was apprehensive about the leadership they were entrusted to.

"Well grandpa you've got quite the record and have been offered promotions several times I hear, maybe you should've taken them eh?" Rosie laughed as she sniped at her senior squadmate.

"I'm not that old damn it! And I believe on fighting on the front with my fellow soldiers, not some desk job." He angrily retorted, everyone knew he hated being reminded how old he was compared to his teammates.

Rosie simply broke out into a laugh at her teammate's expense, the veteran lancer simply grunted in response. The squad seemed to be coming together quite nicely, many enjoying drinks and trading stories with their comrades. Rumor spread quickly that the Empire was going to assault the town of Vasel by the end of the day, and the militia would most likely be deployed to counterattack, most thanking the chance of combat to captain Varrot who had been demanding the militia be mobilized by the higher ups for what seemed like ages now. Predicting tomorrow would most likely be the day they get thrown into the frying pan, most of the troops simply enjoyed the time they had before being sent into the fires of war.

_A small woodland area overlooking Vasel_

Yasuo overlooked the town that the army he spotted was marching on, it seemed the first skirmishes had already begun. The defenders were heavily outmatched by what he'd seen,so he decided to bide his time until the Gallians made a serious attempt at reclaiming their town before he made his move.

"If only this damn thing came with a stealth system, it'll be much harder to hide in broad daylight and in the open streets of a city" He mumbled. Seemingly activating on the word stealth, his visor lit up with his evidently built in cloaking system, although it was experimental and never fully completed it should work fine. The drawback to this was that it drained the other systems of the suit heavily and couldn't be kept active for very long, minutes were recommended with an hour pushing it, once the cloak was deactivated it would take the other systems time to recharge leaving him somewhat vulnerable. "You have got to be shitting me" the swordsman groaned in annoyance, wishing he knew about this a long time ago. Turning his sights to the nearby road leading into the town, he could see an endless tide of tanks and men marching to the city, if the war was going to turn in the defenders favor it had to be here. "Well it seems things are going to get interesting really quick".

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone, just a FYI I haven't done any of the skirmishes in my playthrough and only played the "behind her blue flame" DLC so I don't know if i'll include skirmish missions or the Edy detachment stuff in the story. Hope you enjoy the read so far! Reviews and comments are always appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Also to SilverstormXD Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like where the story's going so far! Though I admit I have 2 potential candidates for a pairing but I still can't decide which one . Hopefully when the time comes I'll be able to choose but if not I may need help from you guys the viewers.**

_Vasel City, westward region_

The Imperial blitz had hit hard, the military was utterly overwhelmed by the assault and the eastern half of the city had fallen relatively quick. Gallian high command was in a panic as the Empire had secured a route straight to the capital city of Randgriz. General Damon had little choice but to employ the aid of the Militia, albeit he sent them into the meat grinder as their task was to secure the bridge by charging across its' open ground in the face of enemy armored columns supported by massive amounts of infantry. Welkin's squad was assigned this obvious suicide mission that put the crew even more on edge than they already were, causing tensions to boil over. Welkin had been rushed by Alicia to intervene in an argument between Rosie and Isara, the dispute being over Rosie's racism towards Darcsens and refusing to serve alongside one claiming they were responsible for the calamity that devastated the continent many years before.

"Rosie cut it out! Isara hasn't done anything to hurt anybody! We need to work together if we're going to get through this." Welkin pleaded, defending his adopted younger sibling.

"I ain't fighting alongside no Darscen and that's final!" Rosie snapped back, Largo decided to follow up.

"And I'm not just gonna follow some greenhorn's (unexperienced recruit) orders!" Welkin seeing this was going nowhere had an idea.

He pointed to the bridge behind them, their next objective "I've got a deal for you two, I promise to retake that bridge within 72 hours, if I do you two will follow my orders and like it!" Everyone was shocked, it seemed impossible to take the heavily fortified position without at least weeks of attrition, trying to whittle down the enemy's numbers before pushing through.

"And if we win?" Largo retorted, seeing no reason to agree to a deal they gained nothing from.

"I'll resign and leave command of Squad 7 to you." Welkin smiled, much in contrast to Isara's and Alicia's terrified reactions. Largo simply grunted with a "Deal" and the two walked off.

"Welkin what were you thinking!? How can we possibly retake that bridge within 72 hours?" Alicia was panicking, while Isara was obviously worried.

"Let me get back to you on that heh" Welkin nervously answered, obviously having no clue on how he was going to actually take the bridge, nervously scratching his head as he went off to think up a plan.

_Hillside Ledge overlooking the city_

Yasuo had been relaxing as he watched the city be overrun by seemingly endless amounts of soldiers, waiting until the Gallians made their move before he decided to help. A lull in the fighting made things uneasily quiet as the invaders were reinforcing their lines and preparing for the next big push while the defenders tried to organize some sort of defense or even possibly a counter attack. Using his built in zoom function he surveyed the battlefield trying to get an idea of how the situation was, on one hand the Empire was already moving troops to cross the bridge which seemed to be the only way across, spelling doom for the poor souls who were inevitably ordered to retake it. On the other side the defenders best option seemed to try to bunker down and wear the enemy forces down in a war of attrition until a breakout could be launched. As the swordsman scanned the city, he noticed what seemed to be a small unit of troops with a tank near the riverbank discussing something. As he zoomed into to get a better look at the scene, he couldn't have known that his gear had given off a glare due to the sun.

_River's Edge, Gallian side of Vasel_

The squad was still trying to wrap their head's around Welkins new plan to retake the bridge, evidently they had outfitted the Edelweiss with water equipment so it could sustain light water travel. Using nearby flowers to judge the depth of the river, Welkin theorized it was shallow enough for the tank to cross unhindered, and the rest of the group to follow without being detected. The plan was to reach the opposing shore unnoticed and take the defenders by surprise, blitzing their way to the bridge controls to literally take the bridge out from under the assailants. The plan was highly unorthodox and extremely risky since if the enemy detected them or if they failed, it would be difficult to escape crossing the river while under fire. Marina was simply focusing on her next task, her inner thoughts blocking out the voices of her comrades. She looked at maps and across the river to try to get a feel of the terrain, so that she could find a spot to use to provide covering fire as the squad advanced. Thankfully it seemed a tower was located close to the bank of the river, something she could use after they landed. As the sniper's eyes left the map and looked to the horizon, she could see a glint of something, something metallic had given off a glare as the sun hit it. Natural curiosity being so powerful, she went and grabbed her rifle and used its' scope to zoom in on the source, the sight was quite an unusual one. Her eyes widened at the sight of a strange person in armor the likes of which she had never seen before, she quickly began taking note of anything of interest particularly his weapon seemed to be a sword of some sort which was quite odd in modern warfare these days. The suit looked highly advanced even by Imperial standards, making her wonder who this person was and where he came from. As she moved her sight to the mask of the man, she noticed it seemed as if he was looking right back at her, but she quickly dismissed the notion since at this range there was no way he could possibly see them. Marina found herself stunned as the man seemingly looking right at her, acknowledged her presence with a quick wave followed by him jumping down into the city suburbs below out of sight. Her first instinct was to alert Welkin to this unknown person, but she deduced that it would be impossible to prove and even if she did prove it, it would only distract everyone else from the mission. Deciding to keep this discovery to herself for the time being, she refocused herself on the task at hand, preparing to take headshots so that her squad could push to take the bridge. Squad 7 deployed quietly under the cover of fog, the Empire completely unaware of the attack except two soldiers who were talking at the riverside who were quickly dispatched once the Gallians surprised them by emerging from the depths. Marina dashed to the nearby tower, her new sniper's nest giving her a wide field of view of the battlefield. Welkin fired on a canister near some parked enemy tanks, destroying some and crippling the one remaining beyond hope of repair, the ensuing gunfight quickly ending thanks to several well placed headshots accompanied by Rosie and Vyse unloading with their LMG's. As the first outpost fell an Empire officer called in due to reports of gunfire, but thankfully Isara fooled him into thinking it was a simple accident by hijacking their transmission. Knowing it wouldn't be much time the squad continued to push to the control console, unfortunately as they prepared for the final push Isara intercepted a transmission that hinted the Imperials were on to them, so they all prepared to make a mad dash for the bridge controls before reinforcements arrived. Welkin turned the corner and opened fire on the nearest tank, damaging it but making him the center of attention as the defenders opened fire on the Edelweiss. Rosie and Vyse charged to the left using the rubble as cover, flanking several storm troopers who were using a wall as cover. Alicia and Freesia dashed across a bullet filled street to reach the far end, gunning down two lancers and using grenades to clear out the other soldiers hiding in the ruins. Tank rounds flew across the street and bullets whizzed in every direction, the Imperial defenders were barely holding knowing they simply had to buy time for reinforcements to arrive which would definitely overrun the Gallian attackers. Marina had been forced to move from her spot since a large collection of building rubble blocked her view of the front line, now she was forced to use the Edelweiss as cover though it affected her accuracy little as many Imperial heads continued to be pierced. From further down the road leading to the skirmish, an explosion could faintly be heard over the fighting and smoke was rising to the skies, Isara quickly tuned into Empire channel's to see if any news could be discovered on the development.

"5th battalion what's going on out there?! I heard an explosion and there's smoke rising from your convoy's area, please advise over." The radio man at the bridgehead frantically tried to see what had transpired, knowing those reinforcements were the lifeline they needed if they were going to hold.

"We're under attack! _Rapid gunfire is obvious in the background along with the screams of men_ Oh god, it's everywhere! We've lost half our men!" The responder was in an extreme panic.

"What the hell is going on over there?! Who's attacking you? Is it some Gallian resistance fighters?"

"No it's some… I think it's a man I don't know! He just showed up after one of our Darcsen hunter squads returned from rounding up civies! He's too fast we can't stop him! Oh god no no please **aaaaaaaaaaagh!" **the transmission cut off in static.

In the distance the sound of an explosion filled the air, and another trail of smoke could be seen rising to the sky. Without reinforcements the defenders knew their time was limited, as Welkin and his squad slowly pushed through the street. Several minutes of heavy gunfire ended in the inevitable defeat of the Empire, as Welkin was able to reach the bridge controls and take the bridge out literally from underneath the Imperial forces, sending hundreds into the river. With this new weakness exposed in the enemy's forces, the main Gallian army made a hard push, swiftly retaking the bridge with little opposition. Welkin decided to redirect his squad to the position of the enemy reinforcement convoy that never arrived, keeping his squad on high alert for any traps or ambushes. The sight was a grizzly one, bodies were everywhere accompanied by flames that engulfed much of the main road as tanks had been burning for quite some time.

"These injuries… they seem like stab wounds, but how could someone using a knife or a sword do this to an entire Imperial convoy?" Welkin spoke to himself as he investigated the injuries, his squad keeping an eye on the area looking for survivors. With the main road covered by the fires, the group prepared to head back to base until Alicia spotted a silhouette within the inferno.

"Welkin look! Someone's in there!" She shouted, the entire squad turning their attention, as well as their rifles to the shadow within the flames.

The figure emerged completely unscathed, the flames simply sliding across its' armor. The figure was that of a man but nothing could be certain, he seemed to hold a sword on his shoulder and continued a silent but brisk pace towards the militia group. Welkin already felt uneasy at this unknown person, but quickly snapped himself out of his confusion to take control of the situation.

"Stop right there! This is a warzone, who are you and what's your purpose here?" He put on a straight face and let no sign of fear mark his voice, he couldn't afford to look weak in the face of adversity.

"So, I assume you're with the locals? Nice job by the way, I doubt anyone would've seen that kind of attack coming pretty clever for a kid." The slightly metallic voice threw everyone off, yet it was definitely male. Welkin was also curious that this man somehow knew about their operation, their couldn't have been a leak he'd made sure of it by telling everyone last minute; this meant he watched them go through with the plan which was more disturbing.

"I see you're admiring my handiwork? Not the most elegant thing but it gets the job done, if you don't mind I need to speak to whoever is in charge." He seemed rather friendly, ignoring the tenseness of the situation.

"I can't let you pass without knowing who you are and your intentions." Welkin began to sweat, things could go badly really quick yet the man simply sheathed his sword and began a slow walk forward, everyone tensing up as he did.

"I'm the guy who wiped out this convoy, and possibly wants to help you in your fight; I'd say that's good enough." Everyone remaining quiet as he eventually reached their line, simply passing them by and heading towards the western part of the city. Everyone remained frozen for what seemed like an eternity, until they all regrouped and followed the strange man back to HQ, Marina keeping an extra close eye on him.

_Gallian Military Headquarters, General Damon's office_

While Damon was pleased that the city had been retaken, reports of a mysterious soldier wielding a sword wiping out an entire Imperial regiment unnerved him. What disturbed him even more was the fact this mystery man was being sent to meet him personally, wishing to speak to the highest military official and only to him/her. He was also very annoyed by the fact this meeting kept him from attending an award ceremony where he would surely be recognized for his valiant efforts in securing the city and taking the first step to pushing back the enemy. It was only a few minutes before the door opened with two armed guards standing at attention on each side, the foreign warrior striding in and taking his seat across from Damon.

"So, you're the one who's in charge around here?" The man asked, in a somewhat patronizing tone.

"Ah yes! I am the great General Damon! Head of the Gallian army, and who might you be? You refused to tell my soldiers your name, when you start working for us we need to know what to call you eh?" His pompous attitude never failed to drown out any sense of nobility or humility.

"I told your men I _**may **_help you, I fear for your country's safety if you're the best they have." The man never moved yet, somehow Damon could feel his gaze burrowing into his skull.

"What? How dare you! I am a distinguished general! I've been a leader all my life! My family has served Gallia for generations!" Never one to let his reputation be questioned, nor anyone tell them what they think of him, his outburst was that of an angry child.

"Ah I see, so you're an aristocrat then? Spoiled brats who have everything handed to them because they have money? You have no place in this military, or any army in that matter. You don't care about your men or honor, just your own personal gain; I've dealt with enough of your kind in my lifetime. This was obviously a mistake, I should've known better than join some foreign war." His distaste was evident, the guards nervous as they had no clue what would happen next, the general always got what he wanted, but this man was dead serious, and they feared if push came to shove the walls would be painted red with their blood.

"Now hold just a minute! I have earned multiple awards in my career! Honorable was a title bestowed upon me by her majesty herself!" His face was burning red in rage at this attack on his character, no matter how accurate it was.

The two engaged in a tense glaring match until Yasuo broke the silence "honor is in the heart, not the name" leaving the room and slamming the door behind him. While short, the conversation had its' impact, Damon was outraged and also bewildered that someone had verbally crushed him so easily.

Deciding that he would stay for at least a day, Yasuo headed to the mess hall to grab some food and something to drink; hopefully alcoholic. Navigating the halls became tedious, refusing to ask the guards for instructions mostly out of pride but also since he really didn't trust anyone here with not sending him into a trap. After several minutes (though feeling like hours) he finally found what seemed to be the mess hall, it seemed everyone was celebrating about the recent operation (operation cloudburst from what he overheard) so alcohol was being served. Ignoring the many glares and curious looks he got, Yasuo simply headed to the counter and paid the awe struck bartender for a drink and found himself an empty table in a secluded corner. Propping his legs up on the empty table received him many more fearful stares, obviously he had no idea that only one person ever sat at that table, and nobody dared ever to enter her territory. The doors opened shortly after as a dark haired woman entered, ignoring the jovial celebrations around her and made her way to the counter. Most of the more upbeat and rowdy groups were thankfully out of her way and more to the sides, as all she walked past quickly hushed themselves as she passed. Getting a simple glass of water, she made her way to what was supposed to be _her_ table with the man from before acting like he owned it.

"You're sitting at my table" The stern voice caught the swordsman by surprise, albeit he showed little besides turning his head to see the woman standing behind him, many in the room quietly gazing at the spectacle.

"Then feel free to take a seat, there's plenty of chairs." He quickly replied in an upbeat tone in his voice.

The two simply stood there staring each other down, Marina had to admit the man had guts to simply intrude on her space and then act as if they were old friends. Then again he had no idea of her reputation but there was something about him, he treated her as an equal and had the guts to talk to her unlike everyone here except the idiot Ted who always tried (albeit feebly) to gain her affection with pathetic attempts at conversation. She didn't even know his name and yet from what she'd seen in the field he had earned her respect as a warrior if nothing else, so as to everyone's surprise (earning a few gasps) she simply sat down across the table of him and began eating a meal she'd brought. An awkward silence overcame the table, as well as many who simply stared in awe (including a jealous Ted) that Marina tolerated another living being in her presence.

"You seem to have gained a lot of respect around here, as well as inspired a bit of fear from the looks of it" The swordsman broke the silence noting how others reacted to her presence, and how they still occasionally glance in their general direction.

"A mixture of both, I am a natural hunter and they find their ways to cope with that fact." She never even raised her face to speak, casually taking a bit from an apple. Normally such a statement would seem arrogant, but Yasuo easily saw she wasn't the egotistical type, she merely stated facts.

"You don't play well with others do you?" he responded with a more joking tone.

"They get in my way far too often, you could say I'm a lone wolf of sorts" she replied in her monotone voice, continuing her meal and taking a quick drink of her glass.

She cocked her eyebrow as the man simply chuckled for a bit at her response "You know I find that term to be quite the paradox 'lone wolf'. Wolves are very good hunters and efficient killers, but their strength lies in working in packs as teams; those who go off on their own are usually too weak to be accepted into the pack. I don't see you as weak." Finishing the last of his drink, Yasuo was quite sad as it tasted very good.

"An interesting perspective, one that none had the guts to bring to my attention" she brooded, deciding to sate her curiosity after some silence. "So what's behind the armor? Or are you just a big hunk of metal with no name?" She was blunt, never one to be tact about anything, preferring to just say what she wanted to so her point got across clearly.

Taking a moment to adjust his seat so others couldn't see (he enjoyed fucking with people) the mask opened from all four sides revealing his face. His face revealed a man who was quite young, but had seen his share of trials throughout his life. :"Name's Yasuo" he said in a quiet enough tone so she could hear but no one else in the room could hear. Setting down his empty glass Yasuo rose from the table and turned to leave the room.

"Leaving so soon?" The sniper questioned, surprisingly enjoying the company of another person she saw as an equal.

"Wouldn't want to overstay my welcome, besides I'd better find some place to sleep before everywhere is taken; besides its' been an hour already." Surprise overcame Marina as she checked her watch completely losing track of time. She was most likely going to be deployed tomorrow and had plans that were too late to accomplish now. She rose from her seat and threw her trash away, joining the swordsman as they exited the mess hall, many gaping mouths and wide eyes followed them as they left.

"It's Marina by the way" she remembered she hadn't told him her name as the two walked towards the barracks. She noticed he was seeming to veer off towards the direction of the woods, much to her confusion "Not going to sleep in a hotel tonight?"

"Nah, it'd probably attract too much attention and besides I'm used to living on the road, a nice rock or some brush will do well enough." His reply came as he gazed off into the moonlit forest.

"Understandable, a warm bed doesn't hurt either and I doubt anyone would even be sober enough to bother you" Marina was surprised at herself, she never cared what other people did and yet was suggesting this person find better sleeping accommodations.

"Why thank you Marina, didn't know you cared" his snarky tone quickly annoyed her. "I guess you have a point though, who knows maybe we'll meet again eh?" changing his course Yasuo headed to a nearby motel.

"Maybe we will Yasuo, maybe we will" she convinced herself he was the first person to prove worthy of her time, someone she could consider an equal as a soldier and a hunter. He was certainly more intriguing than most people, maybe that's why he commanded such respect; that and his combat ability which she saw the results of firsthand. She wondered if they'd ever meet on the battlefield, hoping they wouldn't be on opposite sides, for both their sakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry this took ages to get out everyone, this merits an explanation. A lame excuse I know but, I simply lost any interest in writing literally losing the will to continue; I've just been working and playing with friends so this story kind've took a backseat. I really do hope to get back to updating more often but I'll make no promises since my other story is far overdue as well. Lastly, I'm looking for a Beta reader to make sure I'm not making tons of grammatical/lore mistakes so feel free to ask…or sign up… or whatever (I have no idea how the system works). While not required, being motivational would be nice to keep me writing as I do love writing these stories, it just becomes tiresome at times. With that out of the way enjoy the story!**

Yasuo prepared himself for another long journey, once again he had no real clue where he was going or what he was going to do once he got there. He decided to simply follow the wind as he always had, seeing as that had yet to fail him. While moving to exit the base, he noticed lines of refugees entering the city through the now liberated bridge. While it was good to see innocents being protected from the war, he noticed some obviously weren't treated the same as others. His curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to investigate; upon gaining a closer look all those in the "less fortunate" lines all shared similar looks and traits. This revelation sent alarm bells off in his head, he'd hoped racial discrimination didn't exist here like it did back in Valoran, so he decided to head to the closest line to hm. Before he could ask someone what was going on he noticed something had latched onto his leg, with a quick look below him he found the little girl he'd seen not so long ago during the incident with the firing squad.

"Thanks for saving us mister! Mommy and Daddy are really grateful for your help!" Her smile radiated innocence and childlike joy, her warmth was contagious as he found his own smile crossing his face.

"Of course little one, people like me have to help people like you so the bad people don't hurt you" he ruffled her hair as she ran back to the line to her parents, both of whom immediately greeted him.

"We can't say how thankful we are for your heroics, without you we would've-"

"Enough Lollygagging Darcsen! Get back in line before we throw you out to the Empire!" a nearby guard interrupted. While the family passively returned to the line, the swordsman wasn't so easily dismissed.

"You have a problem soldier?" telling by his uniform this man was most likely a grunt, Yasuo wasn't going to allow his prejudice to go unchecked.

'Who the hell are you and why should I care? They're just some dirty Darcsens, the world would be a lot better if-"the man never finished his sentence as a fist collided with his face, sending him flat to the earth below him.

"You people disgust me," utter contempt filled his voice as his foot rested on the back of the man's skull keeping him in place. "You act so high and moral, yet you're the same as the invaders of your country, you just fly a different flag" With the last of his venom spat, he delivered a swift kick to the man's jaw and continued his trek northward._ So it seems this isn't as similar to the Ionian campaign as I believed, while militarily the empire is the aggressor, it seems Gallia is just as racist and ignorant; it seems this isn't as black and white as the Ionian conflict as I'd believed." _He saw firsthand how Ionians were treated during the occupation, he'd been forced to find a port in the southern province since the north was even less safe. Yasuo saw how his countrymen were abused and mistreated by their new masters, and he was damned sure never to let that happen to anyone else ever again.

_Imperial War Meeting, forward HQ_

Prince Maximilian had called his generals together to discuss the next stage of the Gallian campaign, seeing as the assault on the capital had failed, the option for a full out blitz victory had practically evaporated. None questioned the ability to win the war, especially with their military and resource superiority, it would simply take longer than anticipated due to the loss of the bridge. Selvaria was as always the first to arrive, followed shortly by the famed tank commander Jaeger and General Gregor. Maximilian as always sat at the head of the table with Gregor to his right and Jaeger to his left, while Selvaria stood at his side.

"I assume you know why you all were called here, our initial assault on the capital has failed yet our position remains exceedingly superior to the Gallians'. With our blitz slowing to a halt we should devise a new plan to ensure victory." Maximilian's voice remained calm, yet ruthlessly calculating as it always had, he couldn't afford to make mistakes here. He planned on using this invasion as a cover up for the superweapons he'd been designing to then turn against his wretched father and step family to claim his rightful throne. The conquest of Gallia was simply a means to an end, allowing him the authority and military resources he required to build an army worthy of his soon to be empire.

Gregor was the first to speak "Well sir, in the Conquest of Fouzen, we now have access to a large portion of the nation's industry, as well as locals we have.. "Persuaded" to work to further our glorious cause. With these new mines and resources, we can more easily deploy manpower and machines to the frontline when needed." His voice resonated confidence, Gregor was born of high birth and had a prestigious career in the military. His tactics and strategies had won the losing war against Firhald, bringing them into the Empire, it was Ironic that Jaeger was the one who had crippled his leg with a precise shot during the war, only now they both served the same master.

"The Southern front is quiet for now, most of their forces fell back as we pushed towards the capital, what little resistance was left we easily overran. Given enough time to rebuild our supply chains, our southern forces could try an encircling maneuver to get behind them and attack from the rear, further dividing their forces." Jaeger followed up nonchalantly, he had no love for the empire and cared little personally about this campaign. He defend his homeland Firhald when the empire invaded, initially crushing everything the empire threw at them, he was an expert Tank commander with potentially no equal, yet even he couldn't stop the inevitable defeat his country suffered. He only joined Maximilian because he was promised that once the throne was taken, his home would be granted independence.

"Lord Maximilian, my forces have a strong grip on the frontlines, maybe if our combined fronts push together we could-"Selvaria was cut off before she could finish

"No, this is the wrong mindset, we can no longer simply rush at them with heavy tanks and large numbers expecting to win. We had the element of surprise before but that has long vanished, they will be entrenched and waiting for us, no longer the shocked prey they had been. We cannot stretch our supply and military lines too thinly lest they strike at critical areas and cripple our invasion. Now we must be patient. Jaeger, head to our southern outpost in the forests and ensure its' security, it is vital to keep our presence in the region strong and equipped. Gregor, you will fortify Fouzen with any and all means necessary; you will have all the resources you require at your disposal. Selvaria will head to one of our forward camps to make sure our grip on the central region doesn't loosen while we secure our foothold in the country. You have your orders, now move out." His voice displayed his royal upbringing, as well as unshakeable confidence and the personality to lead, he cared little for the tools that were his soldiers, even his generals were simply instruments in his plan, yet he radiated such charisma that many followed him with unwavering conviction.

The Triumvirate all replied with a "Yes Sir!" and a swift salute before exiting the room, but before Selvaria could leave he called to her.

"A moment Selvaria" His eyes continuing to reading tactical maps, paying little attention to the woman standing at attention mere feet away from him. "You are still under strict orders to not reveal your Valkyria lineage, under no circumstance are you to use your power without my permission, I hope I am understood?" his eyes raised slowly to meet her gaze. She remained stoic, revealing nothing.

"Of course Lord Maximilian, by your command" Internally she was once again disappointed, she harbored feelings for her prince yet he showed no signs of returning said affection. She began to lose faith that he cared even the slightest about her and would easily discard her if she didn't have her powerful blood running through her veins. Maybe it was only a reactionary effect, he did save her from that damned facility all that time ago, and brought her up to the woman she was today; yet now he was so cold and distant. Perhaps her trust in him was misplaced, but where else could she really go? The world was a heartless and cold place, she lived her life on the battlefield."

"and one more thing" she raised an eyebrow slowly as she expected that to be all of this discussion "survivors from our armored column at Randgriz bridge tell of a man wearing strange armor, who single handedly destroyed the entire regiment, with a sword. These tales seem to correlate with rumors from Darcsen prisoners who speak of a man who defends their people from oppression, a hero, an icon for them, they call him "the Blade". Do these stories mean anything to you?" His glare never faltering, his inquisitive nature trying to pick apart any deceit from who should be his most loyal general, it was paranoid of course but one could never be too sure.

Selvaria was immediately conflicted, for the first time in her life she wasn't sure if she should tell Maximilian the truth. Yasuo seemed honorable enough, and seeing that he knew little to nothing about Europa, it could be assumed he ran into the armored column by accident and hostilities ensued. Maximilian was known for recruiting anyone to his cause despite their birth or class, but only if they proved useful enough to him; the ones whose use ran out were… discarded. Should he find out she knew the man somewhat personally, he would most likely have her bring the swordsman the prince to either convince, or coerce him into joining the cause. Selvaria highly doubted Yasuo wanted to embroil himself in some foreign conflict, and trying to force him would most likely end in a bloodbath; and so for the first time in her life, she lied.

"No my lord, I have heard similar rumors but thought them to be nothing more than that." To her credit, her posture nor her face gave away anything to even the most trained eyes.

"Very well, you are dismissed," The prince returned to his planning and General Bles exited the room.

An internal conflict broiled ferociously within her psyche, why had she lied to him of all people? She was convinced for years she deeply loved him, never before had her loyalty ever been shaken. Sure she disagreed with some things the Empire did, but never once had she ever questioned him on any action or lied to him about anything ever. Why had she defended some man she hardly knew instead of loyally being honest with the one person she'd served and protected her entire life? She knew not the answers to these questions, but decided to ignore them for now and headed to her new command post to await further orders.

_Randgriz City, Gallian Militia barracks_

Since there were no major operations planned for some time, things remained very quiet in the capital. Marina took this chance to clean and check her rifle as to make sure it was always in top shape, due to her precise and lethal occupation a malfunction or failure in the field could prove highly lethal. While she began reassembling her rifle she'd been overhearing conversations of other soldiers, much to her annoyance yet there was nowhere else she could go and there was little private space in the barracks. During her routine, she found herself stopping at someone mentioning an "asshole with a sword". While outwardly she continued her task at hand, her ears had perked up to listen in. It seemed her new acquaintance had gotten into a small scuffle with a guard over treatment of Darcsens, the man made his feelings towards them obviously clear; from which he was rewarded with a swift beating. Marina also noted many were still wondering if the man was even human, since he'd performed the mythical feat of sitting at Marina's table and coming out unscathed.

Seeing the conversations go nowhere productive, she refocused herself on cleaning her scope while thinking about this new information. She held no particular resentment against Darcsens, she cared little either way; yet Yasuo had gained what many would fail to do in a thousand lifetimes, her respect. The fact he had no qualms about putting someone in their place, yet also doing it in a swift and not overly brutal fashion showed strength and control. He was obviously firm in his beliefs and wasn't afraid to defend them, something she could appreciate; while it was far-fetched to call him a friend, she would willingly tolerate him over many in her corps and that was a start.


End file.
